What is my personal purpose? This question can be very high stakes and very stressful if we allow it to be. It can lead to larger looming questions like, “Why am I here?” and “Does my life matter?” As believers, the answers to these questions are found in our identity in Christ. Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT) says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
These verses establish that we were God-chosen and that we bring Him great joy. This understanding is a core essential of receiving our identities as sons or daughters of God with rightful places in His family and kingdom. Why then do we so easily and often question our purposes for being?
It is true that while we are all equally chosen into His family, just like any family, each member provides a unique expression within the familial tapestry. As none of my four sisters and I—though sharing the same, biological makeup—were alike in many ways, we each provided something essential to the table. The same of every human being; we all long to know our place in the world, our personal purpose as it were.
My spiritual “mama” and Life Exchange podcast co-host, Dr. Melodye Hilton, says that, “Walking in your purpose takes you from a life of success to a life of significance.” That significance being a core need for every soul. So, how do we set about this journey of destiny discovery?
Firstly, remove the anxiety that you have to know exactly what this means or what this should look like right now. Take a deep breath and let it out. The pressure is off.
Secondly, begin to take note of the parts of your days that bring you internal, deeper-than-emotion satisfaction. Your day job may not be the ultimate fulfilling career you hoped it would be but are there elements of your work or of your day that touch that deep-seated well inside of you that feels like what you were created to do on this earth?
Next, separate yourself from the idea that every single moment of every day must feel like “the thing” you were meant to do. It just won’t. But…begin to grab hold of those elements of your days that beckon you to give more of your time, energy, talents and life to see them accomplished and to further a cause. Those are your starting points.
What brings you the greatest joy? What crushes your spirits? What makes you angry? What are you good at? These questions help you determine your individual “why” and to be more strategic about not only finding ways of greater expression for them in your life but how to celebrate and capitalize on them within your days. They will help you set your “yes” and “no” in how you prioritize your time and investment. Lean in to the areas that feel like fireworks in the depths of your being and re-order the areas that may be “good” but not serving you or yours in this time.
Your purpose is for you, and it is for your world, but ultimately it is to bring glory to the One who made you, chose you, called you and rejoices over you. Remember to just be you and do it for Him!
For more on discovering personal purpose, listen to this episode of the Life Exchange podcast here. {eoa}
Katie Stansfield is the co-host of the new podcast, Life Exchange, as well as staff pastor and administrator at Giving Light in Elizabethville, Pennsylvania. She is passionate about raising up healthy people so that they can live and lead well. With a practical, down-to-earth style, Katie believes in tearing down personal and societal barriers so that we can model and lead successful and healthy lives, ministries and cultures.
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